Moriah 4: Is Silence Really Golden?
by Joni Latham
Summary: LaCroix almost loses Moriah over an unfounded fit of jealousy.


MORIAH: Is Silence Really Golden? By: Joni Latham  
  
Lacroix stood quietly in the darkness of the Raven, staring intently at the fledgling vampire sitting before him. When he agreed to help Nicolas train Johnny, he said it was because he saw the new vampire's potential and did not wish to unleash another untrained vampire on the world. Moriah, his newest fledgling, possessed a certain sweetness and a certain sense of morality, but when provoked, she became very dangerous. This new vampire had the same potential as Moriah. Without proper training, he could meet the same fate as his brother, Billy -- destruction at the hands of the Enforcers. Johnny's potential was the public reason he gave for training him, but his real reason was Moriah.  
Moriah was very fond of Johnny. They became fast friends when she returned to Texas to escape Nick's torment a few years earlier. They shared the same small Texas town background and friendly attitude. While Lacroix was well aware that Johnny was in love with Moriah, he also knew that Moriah had no interest in Johnny or any male, vampire or human. For some reason he had as yet to understand, she appeared to be totally devoted to him. Through her actions, she continually proved her love for the old vampire master. Twice, at the risk of her own existence, she saved him from possible annihilation. Even with the knowledge that she loved him well lodged in his brain, Lacroix still found the closeness between the fledglings brought a certain amount of jealousy to the surface.  
Even now as he trained the infant vampire, Lacroix tried to limit Moriah's contact with him. He sent her to the apartment during the day and out into the city at night. He realized that she was only humoring him when she agreed to his suggestions to leave. He discovered early in their relationship that her personality was just as strong and obstinate as his. It was this lack of fear of him that had drawn him to her in the first place. That, and her obvious love for him, compelled him to always keep her near. He knew that if she wanted to see Johnny, she would eventually see him. For now, he was pleased that she did as he asked, and he did not have to force his will on her. That, no doubt, would come later.  
As he turned back to Johnny and the task at hand, he wondered what Moriah was doing upstairs in the apartment alone. "Pacing, no doubt," he thought.  
Lacroix knew his lady love well. Moriah was indeed pacing around in circles in their apartment above the Raven. She hated being cooped up and cooped up she was until sunset. Normally, she and Lacroix spent this time together in their apartment, but since Johnny's training began, she was being left alone more and more. Even though she knew that Lacroix would not stop her from joining them downstairs, she stayed away in deference to his feelings. He had done so much for her over the years that she felt that she could do this little something for him. Besides, once Johnny was trained and out on his own, she would have ample opportunities to visit him. She cared for Johnny a great deal, but despite his feelings for her she was not in love with him. Her heart belonged to Lacroix and had since the moment that she saw him in the Raven when she was still mortal. She only wished that she could convince him that unlike his other fledglings, she was not going to leave him. She loved him and was more than content to stay with him for all eternity.  
Glancing at the clock on the mantle, she noted that sunset was not due for another four hours. Lacroix would be busy again that night with Johnny, and since Nick was on duty, she was left to devise her own entertainment again. She and Natalie had not spent any time together since long before her last trip to Texas. When Natalie mentioned that she had the night and next day off and wished to spend it with her, Moriah jumped at the chance to have some company. They planned to meet for a movie and dinner, then spend the rest of the evening and part of the next day together. "Four more hours," she thought. "What am I going to do for four hours?" Television was out of the question. Soaps and magazine shows did not appeal to her. She had read almost every book in her and Lacroix's combined library. After roaming around the apartment for another thirty minutes, she grew tired and curled up on her bed.  
Lacroix walked into the apartment and called her name but received no answer. He wanted to say his goodnights before she left. He thought it strange that she did not answer since the sun was just disappearing below the horizon. Since she was not in the living room, he walked down the hallway to her bedroom where he found her still curled up on the bed.  
Sitting on the edge of the bed, he reached his hand out to wake her but stopped. When he watched her at rest, it was hard for him to remember that she was a vampire. As he stared at him he thought about the night he brought her across. He had not wanted to do it for fear of corrupting her innocence and beauty, but if he did not bring her across, he would have lost her to a rival vampire clan. He remembered a feeling of total relief sweep through him when she regained consciousness and gazed at him with the same sparkle in her eyes. Except for being a little paler, she looked and acted exactly the same.  
He gently touched her cheek with the back of his hand, savoring its soft smoothness. The emotions she stirred inside him were a bit overwhelming and frightening, but he would have had it no other way. He leaned over and brushed her forehead with his lips, wishing that he could pick her up and transport them to a deserted castle in the middle of a dense Bavarian forest where they would be undisturbed for a very long time. He pushed the thought aside to answer a reality call. They both had to be somewhere else and with someone else at the moment, but that was to soon end. After drinking in her innocent beauty one more time, he placed his hands on her shoulders and gently shook them.  
His gentle shaking motion woke her. "Moriah. Moriah, Little One," he called softly. "It is evening. You will be late for your appointment with Dr. Lambert."  
It took Moriah a few moments to realize that she was not dreaming and that he was actually sitting on the bed shaking her. She slowly opened her eyes, hoping that she was not dreaming. "Hello, Stranger," she whispered, smiling. "I was beginning to forget what you looked like."  
Leaning over her, he placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "We cannot have that now, can we? I promise that we will be apart only be one more day. By the end of next week, you will be glad to be rid of me."  
She shook her head. "Never," she said, glancing down at her watch. "You're right though. I need to go. Would you kiss me again and make it last me for the next twelve hours?"  
A smile spread across his face. It was one of those smiles that lit up his face and was reserved only for her eyes. No one else ever saw these smiles or any smiles from Lacroix, except ones of self-satisfaction. Picking her up his arms, he held her close. In response, she wrapped her arms around his neck and stared longingly into his eyes. It had been so long since they had any time alone together. His lips moved towards hers ever so slowly, almost teasing her. When their lips finally met, he kissed her deeply, passionately, only stopping when their fangs appeared.  
Lacroix quickly stood up and set her on her feet. "Now, go and have fun," he said, kissing her forehead. Sighing softly, he added, "I must return to Johnny since Nicolas must work tonight."  
His sigh told Moriah all she needed to know. He did not enjoy training Johnny any more than she enjoyed him being gone so much. She stretched up and placed a kiss on his cheek then walked into the bathroom to change clothes, touch up her make-up, and brush her hair.  
When she stepped out of her bathroom, Lacroix was no longer in her room. While she was busy in the bathroom, he decided to freshen up and grab a drink. He hoped to return before she left for the evening. He hated leaving her alone, but the sooner Johnny's training was finished the sooner he was out of his hair and away from Moriah.  
Once Moriah realized that he was not in the room, she shrugged her shoulders and pulled back the drapes and blinds on her window. Unless she had a purpose for walking through the club downstairs, she liked to just step out the window. Just as she was pushing the window open, he stepped back into her room.  
"Allow me," he offered, walking over to the window. She stepped back out of the way and allowed him to push the window pane upwards. As she floated up to the window sill, he remarked, "Have a pleasant evening with Dr. Lambert."  
"I will, Lucien," she replied, smiling. "Will I see you when I return?"  
"Probably not. But, it should be the last time. Nicolas will take him back to his loft and complete the training himself. I think that you are the last fledgling that I actually enjoyed training. I do not believe that I would want to do it again for a long while." He pushed her gently out the window. "Now, go have some fun," he commented. "One of us should."  
She floated just outside the window staring back at him. "Lucien, are you sure you want me to go?"  
He smiled softly. "Yes, Little One. Go."  
"All right, My Love," she said softly, floating slowly away from the window.  
He stood at the window, watching her until he could no longer see her. Sighing, he closed the window and pulled the drapes, then turned and returned to the task of Johnny's training.  
Moriah flew through the night sky towards the Natalie's apartment. She loved spending time with Natalie, but her company was really not what she desired tonight. "Oh well," she thought. "Might as well make the best of the situation." At least she would not have to spend the night alone; she would have Natalie with her.  
As she flew over the city, it dawned on her that Natalie and Nick were really the only friends that she had besides Lacroix. If any of the three was busy, she spent much of her time alone or with the humans. For some reason, that she did not yet understand, none of the other vampires would have much to do with her. They were friendly enough, but that friendliness usually stayed within the confines of the Raven. Other than Lacroix, Nick was her only companion from the vampire community.  
Landing in a blind alley across the street from Natalie's building, she straightened her hair and clothes before stepping out onto the sidewalk. As she walked up the sidewalk to the corner, she spotted Natalie's silhouette running back and forth across her bedroom window. "She must be running late," Moriah thought. She decided to give her a few extra minutes to dress and continued walking up the sidewalk. After walking several blocks up, she crossed the street and walked back towards Natalie's building.  
She stood outside the building entrance a few more minutes watching the people walk past her. Being a woman standing alone on the sidewalk at night, she elicited quite a few stares and several rather rude comments. Neither the stares nor the comments phased her. She chuckled softly to herself; if they only knew what she was. Human men were of no danger to her. In fact, she was accustomed to being stalked by male vampires who were considerably more dangerous. Lacroix told her that they were attracted to the light that burned within her. She did not know whether it was true or not, but she did know that she had been pushed into protecting herself many times. Fighting was not one of her favorite pastimes, but she had become quite adept at it. She was small and fast so she was able to tire her adversary before they could capture her. Most of the time though, Lacroix appeared out of the darkness to defend her. She wished sometimes that he would allow her to handle the situation herself. She realized that he would not always be there to protect her and that she needed to become proficient at protecting herself. Shaking her head to clear thoughts of Lacroix and the other vampires, she decided that it was time to pick up Natalie for the evening.  
Moriah stepped into the foyer and pressed the call button to Natalie's apartment. There was a crackling sound and a low whistling, then she heard Natalie's voice. "Moriah, is that you? Please say it is. I need help with my dress."  
Moriah could not help giggling. "Yes, Natalie. It's me," she answered, holding the call button down to open the connection. "I'll be right up."  
The buzzer sounded, indicating that Natalie had pressed the release button to allow her entrance to the stairwell that led up to the apartments. Pushing the door open, she walked up the stairs to the third floor.  
Natalie met her in the hallway. "Moriah!" she cried, tugging on the back of her dress. "I'm trapped in this stupid thing. Get me out!"  
"Come on," Moriah laughed as she pushed Natalie back into her apartment. "Let's see what I can do."  
After pushing the door shut with her foot, Moriah examined the back of Natalie's dress to find that the zipper had jammed half-way up the material. In her frenzy to free herself from the dress, Natalie broke some of the zipper teeth, causing the zipper to open up from the bottom. Moriah informed her that she would have her out of the dress in a moment, but after she was free, a new zipper would have to be installed. After Natalie assured her that the zipper was already ruined and it did not matter, she grabbed both sides of the zipper and gave a small tug. The zipper gave way easily under her grip, and Natalie immediately stepped out of the dress. Holding the mess of a dress in front of her, Natalie surveyed the damage and sighed. It was the first time that she had worn the dress. She could not believe that they used such a cheap zipper in such an expensive dress. Maybe she would just return it tomorrow, but for the moment she was ready to have some fun.  
She dropped the dress in a nearby chair, then turned to Moriah. "Thank you," she remarked, smiling. "I just barely felt you tug on the zipper while I have been jerking on it for half an hour now. Must be nice to have such strength"  
Moriah smiled. "It has its advantages, but it can also be a real pain, especially if you don't pay attention to what you're doing."  
"Just the same, I bet the advantages outweigh the disadvantages," Natalie commented, stepping towards her bedroom door. "I'll be right out, then we can leave."  
While Natalie was busy in the other room, Moriah walked over to the window. Drawing the sheer panel aside, she looked out onto the street below where throngs of people were walking up and down the sidewalk. As she leaned against the window frame, carefully watching the people milling around, she thought about Natalie and their relationship. She loved her and loved spending time with her, but she longed to have some vampire friends, other than Nick. Unless Natalie was brought across, she would eventually lose her to human death. Moriah was not above bringing her across, but she chose to leave that option and duty to Nick unless drastic measures demanded otherwise. It was Natalie's approaching mortality that caused Moriah to find herself thinking more and more about her vampire sister, Janette.  
The opportunity to meet Janette had not arisen yet, but over the years she had heard many stories about her. It seemed that Janette figured prominently into most of Nick's and Lacroix's stories of their past adventures. From what she had been told, Janette was a little older than Nick and that Lacroix had used her to lure Nick into his fold. She also heard that she and Nick had lived as husband and wife for almost one hundred years. She thought that she would like Janette but was not sure if Janette would like her. Maybe, being family she would accept her and treat her as Nick did. She hoped so, because she thought that it would be nice to have a female vampire's opinion occasionally. Lacroix tried to help her, but he was, after all, a man. A hand gently shook her shoulder, causing her to jerk her head back.  
"Moriah, I'm ready to leave now," Natalie said softly, taking her hand off Moriah's shoulder and stepping way back. She was well aware that startling a vampire could lead to disaster. The look on Moriah's face was so serious that she felt that she had to ask if there was something wrong.  
Moriah shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong," she said softly. "Just thinking." In a stronger more robust tone, she added, "Now, let's get out of here and have some fun."  
"I'm definitely ready for that," Natalie agreed, reaching for her bag. "Lead on."  
Moriah grabbed her friend's arm, and together they ventured out to discover what excitement the evening held for them.  
They had not made any definite plans for the evening, other than dinner and possibly a movie. They wanted to end the evening back at the Raven so that Moriah would not be trapped at Natalie's all day. After walking around town for an hour or so, they tried a new comedy club that had opened a few weeks earlier.  
They stayed through two performances, leaving around eleven. Natalie had not eaten anything since lunch time at noon. They were laughing so much that she forgot to order anything to eat at the club, so they decided to stop for fast food on the way back to the Raven. They had thought about going to a restaurant earlier, but Natalie thought it best to eat back at Moriah's apartment. Considering that Moriah did not eat, she thought that she would feel uncomfortable sitting in a restaurant while everyone around her was eating real food. Moriah pooh-poohed the idea but admitted that she liked the idea of relaxing with Natalie in her apartment for a little girl talk. She had been left alone so much lately that any sort of talk was welcome.  
Once they picked up Natalie's dinner, they walked slowly towards the Raven lost in deep conversation about topics ranging from Nick and Lacroix's relationship to the cases that Moriah and Natalie shared when Moriah was on the force. Moriah was having so much fun and was so engrossed in their talk that she did not pay attention to her surroundings or her vampire senses. So, she did not know another vampire was watching them until it was almost too late.  
The male vampire spotted them walking alone very late at night and decided that he just found his next meal. As he watched the two women, he realized that one of them was a vampire, but her vibrations were so weak that he did not give her presence a second thought. He descended into the alley just ahead of them and waited for them to pass.  
Moriah was still oblivious to his presence as he stood at the alley's edge watching them approach. Only when she and Natalie were a few yards away from the alley, did she realize that he was there. She had just enough time to push Natalie to the side before he reached out to grab her. Natalie fell to the pavement and her dinner scattered across the sidewalk. Instead of grabbing Natalie, his arms wrapped tightly around a rather irked Moriah. He did not know it yet, but he had just made one of the biggest mistakes of his life  
"Let me go!" she growled, clamping her hands down on his arms. Since he expected to grab the human woman, he was taken off-guard long enough to allow Moriah to break his hold on her. Spinning around, she shoved him and watched as he spun towards the back of the alley. He made several revolutions before landing with a thud inside one of the many garbage cans lining the wall. The force with which she shoved him lodged him deeply inside the can. While he recovered from the shock, she turned to check on Natalie. She stepped back quickly and pulled her friend to her feet. Her clothes were mussed, and she was bruised but otherwise all right. Moriah apologized for shoving her so hard, but she was not about to lose her friend to another vampire.  
While Moriah busied herself with Natalie, the male vampire worked to free himself from the can. He eyed Moriah with venom in his eye as he struggled to extract his bottom from the can. How dare a young fledgling such as she interfere with his dinner plans? She was going to pay for her audacity. After several attempts, he finally freed himself with one final tug. He soared up a little way above the alley, preparing to exact his revenge.  
Natalie's ruined dinner was not given a second thought as the women scrambled for their purses. Moriah knew that this vampire could destroy her; they had to reach the safety of Lacroix, Nick, or the Raven. Natalie found her purse and slung it over her shoulder then turned to help Moriah search for hers but stopped dead in her tracks at the sight looming above her.  
"Moriah!" she screamed. "He's loose!" Knowing that Moriah would defend them as best she could but could not defeat this vampire, she yelled, "Should I get Lacroix?"  
Moriah did not have time to respond as she turned to meet the vampire's attack. To her surprise, she found the vampire hovering above her head, muttering to himself. Focusing on his words, she heard him repeating hers and Lacroix's names over and over. This gave her an idea.  
He stared down at the young fledgling below him, shaking his head. He must have heard the human wrong; this could not be the Moriah that he had been warned about when he first came to town. His life could not be that cursed.  
On the ground, Moriah stared back at the older vampire. She very rarely called her master, Lacroix, much preferring Lucien, but after the vampire's initial reaction, she wanted to test his reaction to the name again. Keeping her eyes on him, she called back to Natalie, telling her that they did not need Lacroix. She thought that this vampire could be dealt with reasonably. Natalie had no idea what she had planned, but she played along with her friend by agreeing then remaining silent. As he heard Lacroix's name spoken, the look of confusion on the vampire's face grew. Her plan had its desired effect as his feet finally touched the ground a few yards away from her. Just as she thought that Lacroix's name had deterred any further attack, he reached over and grabbed her wrists.  
Glaring at her, he asked, "Just who the hell are you?"  
"I think you know who I am," Moriah remarked calmly, trying to remain very still and unaffected by his threatening gesture. She very rarely used Lacroix as a threat to anyone, but she had Natalie to consider, and it appeared that she was on her own this time. She would bluff the best she could, and it seemed that Lacroix's name definitely had an effect on him. She swallowed, took a deep breath, and said, "If my master gets wind of your attack on me, you'll be in big trouble."  
Pretty sure of what her answer would be, he asked, "And, just who is this all mighty master?"  
"You know. You've heard us speak his name twice now."  
He tightened his grip on her wrists. "I want to hear you say it again," he demanded. "Say it!"  
Squelching the fear rising inside her, she answered, "Lucien. Lucien Lacroix."  
At the sound of Lacroix's name, he released his hold on her wrists. When the vampire initially grabbed Moriah's wrists, Natalie reached for her cellular phone and began dialing the number to the Raven. She just pushed the last number when the vampire released Moriah's wrists. Thinking that Lacroix would not be needed, she quickly hit the disconnect button and dropped the phone back in her purse.  
"I can't believe this. I have been in town less than two days, and I have to attack the one person that I was warned to stay away from," he complained, hitting one of the nearby garbage cans. "You aren't going to report this to your master, are you?"  
Seeing that his anger was being tempered by a certain amount of fear, she decided to bargain for a few answers. "Hmm, I won't tell you attacked me, if you answer a few questions."  
"Who are you to bargain with me, Fledgling," he growled.  
Moriah, a little cockier than usual, answered, "I'm the one with the master who could destroy you." After hesitating for a moment, she continued, "And, that's what I want to know about. What were you told when you arrived in town?"  
"What are you talking about?" he demanded. "What do you mean, what was I told? Doesn't your master tell you about his threats?"  
"Obviously not, or I wouldn't be asking you, would I?" she said rather indignantly. When he grew quiet, obviously thinking on his answer, her patience ran even thinner. "Well, we haven't got all night," she said, throwing her hands on her hips.  
Natalie stayed on the sidewalk at the alley's opening, watching quietly. Moriah may have been young but she had as much courage and poise as a vampire Nick's age, or, maybe she was just arrogant like her master. Either way, Natalie loved spending time with her. She knew that she was as safe with her as she was with Nick, because, though young, Moriah was much more vicious than Nick was. The vampire began to speak, so Natalie turned her attention back to the conversation.  
Deciding that it was best to answer her question then make himself scarce, he said, "All right, I'll tell you, but you promise not to tell Lacroix, right?"  
Moriah smiled. "I always keep my promises."  
"Well, Lacroix threatened to destroy anyone who harms or has any contact with you what-so-ever. I was also told that if any harm befell you, not only would that someone have to deal with Lacroix, but the Enforcers, too."  
Now, she was confused. "The Enforcers?" she questioned, shaking her head. "I have only seen them once, and that was when they tried to kidnap me."  
"I only know what I was told, and now that I've told you, I'm leaving," he said backing away from her. He lifted off the ground a little ways, then turned back to her. "If I find that you told Lacroix about me, I'll be back."  
Moriah wanted to answer, "Oh, I'm shaking in my boots," but she did not. She just stood quietly thinking about what he had told her as she watched him disappear into the night.  
"So that's why Nick's my only friend from the community," she said quietly. "Lucien chased the others away."  
Natalie walked over to her and placed her hand on Moriah's shoulder now that they were safe. "Are you all right, Moriah?" she asked softly  
Moriah covered Natalie's hand with hers and smiled. "I'll be fine, just a little confused a the moment." She pushed the vampire's revelation out of her head for the moment and concentrated on Natalie. "You lost your food," she commented. "Are you still hungry?"  
"A little," Natalie answered, looking at her watch. "Is there anything open this late?"  
Thinking for a moment, Moriah answered, "There is a twenty-four hour cafe a block from the Raven. When I was human, they had great hamburgers, meat loaf, and other home cooked meals."  
"Sounds good to me. We can pick up something, then head straight to the Raven. Wouldn't want you to be caught out in the sun."  
Curiously, Moriah looked at her watch. "Natalie, it's still hours before sunrise."  
"Sorry, still a little shook up. Just wanted to get you back to the safety of the Raven."  
After several minutes of searching, they found Moriah's purse and began their walk back to the Raven. The conversation was non-existent as they walked in silence. The cafe was still open, so Natalie picked up a hamburger and fries, then they stepped back out on the sidewalk to walk the remaining block to the Raven.  
After a few moments of silence, Natalie asked softly, "Moriah, are you going to confront Lacroix?"  
"I haven't decided yet," Moriah sighed softly. "He really hasn't harmed me any. All he's done so far is fix it where none of the vampires will have anything to do with me. I just thought that they didn't like me, but now I find out that he threatened them. I don't know what he's afraid of, and I won't know unless I ask him."  
"I understand. Do you think that I ought to go home?"  
"Nah, Nick will be at the club soon, if he's not there already. I'm sure that you would like to see each other. Johnny's training has sort of left both of us without our men. Besides, I don't plan on saying anything to him until we're alone.  
Natalie laid her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Moriah, you know that I am not a Lacroix fan, but from the little that I have seen, it is apparent that he cares a great deal for you. He has been around an awful long time and from what Nick says has not had too many romantic relationships. He just may not know how to deal with it properly. He did come from a time when women were considered nothing more than slaves and procreators."  
Moriah placed her hand on top of Natalie's. Most vampires had cold clammy skin, but Moriah's always seemed a little warmer than Nick's or Lacroix's. It must be part of what Lacroix meant when he said that Moriah was special. It did not matter to Natalie as she flipped her hand over and wrapped her fingers around Moriah's.  
Moriah smiled softly at her friend; Natalie was indeed her friend. She squeezed her hand, then went on to explain, "I realize that. That is why I'm not as angry as I feel I should be. He does love me, at least as much as he can love. I know that he was a Roman general before Divia brought him across. Considering that, it's amazing that he can show as much love towards me as he does when we are alone."  
"You are too understanding," Natalie complained, as they continued to walk hand in hand the last few steps to the Raven. "Most women would be livid and ready to go for his throat." When Moriah began laughing, she realized what she had said. "Oh My! I always forget that you're a vampire."  
"Sometimes, so do I," Moriah laughed. "I have never really felt any different, just stronger."  
The door to the Raven loomed in front of them, but Moriah was not ready to enter. Instead, she leaned against the wall and continued her conversation with Natalie. "Maybe, it's because I do understand," she said. "It's easy for me to understand why he does some of the things that he does. Maybe, I do have some mental connection to him, I don't know. I only know that I don't wish to live without him. I just have to convince him of that. He still seems to think that one day I'll leave like the others."  
Natalie smiled softly and wished that she knew what to do to help her friend, all she had were words. "You will," she said. "You have an eternity to do so."  
Moriah gave a little laugh. "You are right, my friend. I do have an eternity. Now, shall we go inside so that you can eat," she suggested, wrapping her hand around the doorknob.  
Natalie lifted the bag containing her dinner. "All right," she chuckled. "But, I think that I'm past hunger now. It has been way over twelve hours since I've eaten."  
Moriah pulled the door opened and allowed Natalie to enter ahead of her. The Raven was normally not a place for humans to socialize. They did, however, keep a stock of liquor for the occasional human who wandered inside its doors. Some humans came and left unharmed while others became an evening repast for one or more of the patrons. It all depended on the attitude and the personality of the individual human. When she was human, Lacroix gave Moriah safe passage throughout the entire town, which included the Raven. Now that she was a vampire, she bestowed that same consideration on Natalie. Although she was already under Nick's protection in a fashion, Moriah thought that it would not hurt to have two vampires watching out over her. Natalie could not have been happier about this fact since she considered Moriah a more vicious vampire than Nick. Besides, Moriah had Lacroix protecting her, so it was like having Lacroix protecting her, too.  
Stepping into the club behind Natalie, Moriah let the door snap shut behind her. She steered her friend toward the back of the club and Lacroix's CERK broadcasting booth. Since Johnny's training took place in the club's storeroom during business hours, she knew that the booth would be vacant. She gave Natalie the choice of going upstairs to the apartment or staying down in the bar for a few hours. Natalie did not even have to think about it but immediately picked the booth. Like Moriah, she enjoyed watching people and observing their behavior. They both found that vampires behaved no differently in social situations than most humans.  
The women sat quietly, wrapped safely in the darkness of the booth. Hidden amongst the broadcast equipment, they peered out at the vampires wandering around near the bar. Natalie ate her dinner while Moriah leaned on her elbow, watching the patrons hanging around the bartender. Vampires fascinated her, even though, she was one of them. She never understood the distinction that had been placed upon them of being the walking undead. Vampires possessed the same wide range of emotions that all humans did and sometimes, even more so. Their senses were much more acute than a human's, and they were more aware of their surroundings. In some ways, they were much more alive than humans.  
After Natalie finished her food, she shoved the leftovers back into the paper sack, then focused her full attention on watching the bar patrons along with Moriah. They soon devised a game based on the each patron's possible background and age. Using only each vampire's appearance, they tried to guess when he or she had been brought across and what their profession had been. Moriah had the slight advantage of being a vampire and being able to narrow down their ages a little closer to the correct century. They were having such fun and were so engrossed in their game, that Moriah did not sense the two vampires arrive at the edge of the booth.  
  
While Moriah was spending the evening with Natalie, Lacroix was locked in the storeroom with Johnny. He did not want to be there and resented the necessity. Not only was Johnny in love with his Moriah, but taking on the responsibility of his training was keeping Lacroix from spending time with her. He was on edge and it showed. It took all of his fortitude to maintain a calm, cool demeanor.  
Johnny was fortunate in that he learned quickly and asked few questions, so his training was passing faster than most. He was astute enough to know how Lacroix felt about him, so he did his best not to antagonize the ancient one.  
Toward the end of the session, Lacroix grew impatient waiting for Nicolas to arrive.. "You are doing well, Johnny," he remarked coldly. "From this point on, Nicolas will be your sole instructor. You will go home with him this evening and remain there until you are prepared to venture out on your own."  
Johnny knew that Lacroix was ready to be rid of him. "Lacroix, thank you for taking me in," he said meekly. "I will be out of your and Moriah's way as soon as Nick arrives. I wouldn't want to be any further burden on you. Who knows when I might need your help." Wanting to start off on the right foot, he thought that he might as well address the issue that caused so much tension between them. "There is something else that I wish to say before Nick arrives."  
"Yes, Johnny," Lacroix responded, arching his eyebrow and checking his watch again for the fifth time in fifteen minutes.  
Johnny hesitated for a moment, hoping that he was doing the right thing. "Lacroix, I just wanted you to know that I will never act on my feelings for Moriah. She is yours; I know that. She is a friend and I would like to keep that friendship, but only with your permission. If you give it, I promise to always protect her when I am with her to the best of my abilities."  
Lacroix did not answer him. In all honesty, he could not give his permission. He wanted Johnny nowhere near Moriah, but by withholding his permission, he risked a rift with Moriah. He was in a quandary on what to do when Nick arrived. The subject was forgotten for the moment, giving him a little longer to mull it over in his brain.  
Johnny was well aware that he was keeping the two older vampires from their women, so he suggested that they leave him alone in the storeroom for a while and step out into the club to visit Moriah and Natalie. Both he and Lacroix had felt Moriah enter the club several hours earlier, which was about the time that Lacroix started pacing like a caged tiger. Lacroix was more than ready to spend the rest of the evening with Moriah. Although Nick wanted to see Natalie, he also realized that as long as Lacroix stayed in the storeroom Johnny was in danger. There was an expedient acceptance of Johnny's suggestion shown by Lacroix wasting no time in stepping out of the storeroom into the club. After Nick gave Johnny a reassuring glance, he joined Lacroix in the club.  
  
Over in the CERK booth, Moriah and Natalie were busy watching one particular vampire reminded them of the vampire who had attacked them. They were following his movements across the bar when they realized that their view was being blocked. Moriah was about to make a snide remark when she realized that the solid objects blocking their view were Lacroix and Nick. She elbowed Natalie and pointed upwards.  
"Hi, Lucien," Moriah giggled. "Taking a break from Johnny?"  
Natalie glanced up at Nick, trying to keep a straighter face than Moriah. She did not understand why, but Moriah always brought out the little girl in her. She was not a giggler but around Moriah she could not help herself. "Evening, Nick," she managed to say without cracking a smile. "Is your shift over all ready?" she commented, looking down at her watch.  
A period of silence followed where no one uttered a word. No words were needed between them, emotions and eye contact said it all. Nick slid into the booth beside Natalie while Lacroix remained standing. Nick placed a kiss on Natalie's cheek, then wrapped his hand around hers. It was not long before they were engrossed in conversation and forgot that Moriah and Lacroix were there.  
Once he was sure that his movements would go unnoticed, Lacroix reached for Moriah's hand and gently pulled her from the booth. He wanted to hold her in his arms, feel the softness of her body in his arms, but he was still reluctant to do so when others were around them. Moriah offered no resistance to his pulling her through the bar to the door which lead to the storeroom and their apartment. Even though she was still a little miffed at him for cutting her off from the other vampires, she longed to feel his arms around her. It had been so long since they had been together. Pulling her through the door into the back hallway, he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly against him. Her arms entwined themselves around his neck as she pulled herself up closer to those lips, so wonderful, so full. Anyone standing in the hallway could see the electricity shooting between them. Of course, anyone standing a hundred feet away could have seen it, too. It was present whenever they were together in the same room, and they had to work hard to keep it hidden from the rest of the vampire community. This was one of the reasons that Lacroix limited his public displays of affection. He occasionally lost control, and tonight appeared to be one of those nights which was why he pulled her to the hallway.  
They were not in public now, so he obliged his desire, and hers, to feel his lips on hers. He lowered his head slightly and gently placed a kiss on her lips. Lifting his head, he gazed into her eyes with the intention of kissing her again, but he stopped suddenly. Immediately, he knew that there was something bothering her. Although he taught her to block her thoughts from him, his blood tie to her was stronger than between him and any of his other fledglings. He knew when she was in trouble, when she needed him, and when something was upsetting her. At the moment, there was definitely something tugging at her mind.  
Moriah's tie to him was just as strong as his was to her. She knew that he had seen something in her eyes and felt his reaction to it. She wanted to just blurt it out and ask him about it, but she restrained herself for a while longer. They had spent so little time together lately, and she did not want to spoil it. She slowly closed her eyes and floated up just enough so she was able to kiss him, without him having to bend over to accommodate her. Tightening her arms around his neck, she gave him a long, passionate kiss. He needed no prompting to return her kiss with the same passion. His arms tightened around her and for a moment the thing he had seen in her eyes was forgotten.  
Fangs began to gleam and eyes to glow. The idea of finishing what they started was toyed with then put aside. There would be time when Johnny was packed off to Nick's in a few hours. Lacroix reluctantly released Moriah, setting her gently on the floor in front of him.  
He sighed softly, caressing her cheek with the tips of his fingers. "I suppose that you ought to return to Dr. Lambert, and I should help Nicolas with Johnny. The sooner he's out of the club, the better."  
Normally, Moriah would have reacted to his last statement, but his crystalline eyes were holding her prisoner. All she managed to whisper was, "I suppose so.".  
For the moment they existed in their own world separated from everyone else. Suddenly, Lacroix saw it pass through her eyes again. It flickered through her eyes then was gone. Before returning her to Natalie, he had to know what was bothering her. Without the advantage of reading her thoughts, he had to stoop to physically asking her what the problem was. When he turned to speak to her, she had already stepped back into the club and turned towards the broadcast booth. Using a little vampire power, he caught up with her and stopped her in mid-step.  
Turning her to face him, he asked, "Ma Petite, you would tell me if something was upsetting you, wouldn't you?"  
Moriah smiled gently. "Yes, Lucien, I would and I will. I just don't want to spoil this evening by bringing it up now. It's probably nothing."  
"It may be nothing, but I wish to know what it is now," he said in a very demanding tone, his hands tightening around her arms. The resentment he felt over her keeping something from him grew as he stared down at her.  
"What the hell?" Moriah thought as the pressure increased on her arm She sighed softly. She did not really want to approach the subject right now, preferring to leave it until after they had spent some time alone, but he was being very insistent. "All right, My Love, but do we have to discuss this now?"  
It was obvious that Lacroix was becoming more than a little agitated with her. She was the only one in his existence that could make him feel as if he had done wrong. In his whole life, he was always in the right. No one ever dared to correct him or admonish him for anything that he had done. All she had to do was give him a look or make a comment on his behavior, and he began to doubt himself. Why he allowed her to do it was beyond him. This was one time though, that he was not going to make it easy for her. He had to try to recapture some of the Lacroix of old before she entered his life. He had no idea why it was so important to him now, but it was.  
"Yes, now," he demanded, his eyes flashing a bright blue.  
Moriah pulled with all might to free herself from his grip. Fear was building inside her, and she did not like the feeling. She had never been afraid of him before, but there was something in him this time, something almost uncontrollable.  
He eased up on his grip a little, allowing her to pull free. Once again, he spoke, "Well, what is it, Moriah?" Seeing the fear beginning to build in her eyes, he almost backed off and left her alone, but something drove him onward. "Tell me now!" he demanded, arching his eyebrow.  
Moriah was beginning to wish that she had never found out about the other vampires. Maybe it was not so bad to be isolated from the rest of the vampires and have only humans as friends, but it was too late. She could only tell him what was on her mind and hope for the best.  
"Lucien, I asked you occasionally why the other vampires won't have much to do with me, only speaking to me in passing or here in the club. You always tell me that the other female vampires were jealous of me and that the males only wanted to posses me, which they knew they could not because of you. Well, I was told tonight that you threatened them, all of them. You supposedly told them if they befriended me, you would destroy them. Is that true?" she asked, her voice beginning to quake.  
His gazed hardened as he simply answered, "Yes." He wanted to ask who had told her, but he knew that she would not tell him, and it really did not matter. The point was that she knew.  
"But, why?" she implored, obviously swaying between anger and fear. "Why would you want isolate me like that? You know what a sociable creature I am. And, besides, you don't seem to mind Natalie being my friend or Nick. What do you have against the other vampires?"  
Moriah was talking loudly enough where Nick was able to hear what she was saying. Partly because he feared for her safety and partly because he was just plain curious, he slid out of the booth and walked over to where she and Lacroix were talking. Natalie tried to follow, but Nick gently pushed her back into the booth, telling her to stay where it was safe.  
Lacroix glared at Nick as he stood only a few feet away. "Nicolas, this does not concern you or Dr. Lambert. I suggest that you take her home now and make yourself scarce. You might also consider taking that fledgling in the back room with you."  
Nick slowly backed away from Moriah and Lacroix. It seemed that Lacroix was a little more than agitated at the moment, and it was definitely in Natalie's best interest to remove her from the premise. Knowing that Lacroix was also very jealous of Johnny, he thought it best this time to follow his master's orders and take Johnny to his loft. "Lacroix, I will take Natalie home for her own safety, then I will come back and remove Johnny from your presence for the same reason. But, after he is safe in my loft, I will return. I won't allow you to hurt or abuse Moriah. You should learn to control your jealousy."  
"Is that it?" Moriah thought. Lacroix's behavior was being driven by the old green-eyed monster. If he was indeed jealous, she had no idea how to fight it. From her experiences, one almost always lost. She silently watched Nick defending her. She was quite impressed with him and his willingness to incur Lacroix's wrath to protect her. Although she felt that he would never do it, she knew that Lacroix could destroy him and her with a snap of his finger. He had become angry with her and hurt her feelings before, but he had never done her physical harm. For her own peace of mind she had to continue to believe that he would still do neither of them any harm. Now that jealousy had possibly entered the picture, she was not sure how he was going to react.  
Lacroix did not answer Nick; he only glared at him. He did not know what to say, because Nick was right. He was jealous, just plain old "hot under the collar" jealous. When he saw another male vampire near Moriah, it burned him to no end. Although human males elicited a certain feeling of jealousy, it was such a minute reaction that he could dismiss it. As a human, Johnny was no threat to him what-so-ever, but now he was almost Moriah's equal and as he saw it, a definite threat. Lacroix's brain, as well as Moriah, told him countless times that he had nothing to fear -- she loved only him. She had proved this over and over, but something inside him would not allow him to accept it. It had been so long since any female had shown him such love that he was having a devil of a time accepting it. It even irritated him for her to have contact with the female vampires when he was not in attendance. They were not really that much of a threat to him, but he felt better keeping the whole community away from her. Exposure to the female vampires might have given some of the males an opportunity to seduce her that they might not have had otherwise. He knew the whole thing sounded rather stupid and asinine but somewhere along the way he had lost control. Was it a weakness for him to accept and show her love? He wrestled with this question and yet another: "What was he going to do about it?"  
Nick kissed Moriah on the cheek and whispered, "I'll be back before you know it. Please be careful."  
"I will," she whispered. "He won't hurt me."  
"Let's hope you're right," he answered. He turned and walked to the booth to retrieve Natalie. It was apparent the she did not wish to leave, but of course, Nick won, and they soon disappeared into the front of the club.  
Once she could no longer see them, Moriah turned back to Lacroix. "Excuse me!" she said indignantly. "But, who are you to decide who my friends are? What's wrong with them anyway?"  
There was no way that he was going to tell her the real reason, so with a smug look, he replied, "They are all beneath you. You are leagues above them in class. I do not want you associating with the lower class."  
Moriah looked around her to discover that all the vampires had moved away from them towards the front of the club. Obviously, they had no desire to be drawn into a confrontation with Lacroix. Placing her hands on her hips; her fear gave way to anger. He promised he would never try to control her, but he was doing just that. She was not positive that Nick was correct in his assumption that it was jealousy driving him, so she had to act as if he were telling the truth about thinking her superior to the other vampires. He always thought of himself above everyone else and their superior, so it was feasible that he felt that she was, too. Heck, she was just a simple country girl who just happened to fall for a very self- assured, very arrogant vampire. She was no better than anyone else.  
"What are you talking about? I'm just a plain ol' country girl from Texas, not a Duchess or a Princess. Besides some of those same vampires are doctors, lawyers, and some are even of royal blood, too. You, yourself, were a general at one time, among other things. Are you below me, too?"  
He remained silent, only arching his eyebrow and glaring at her more intently.  
Well, since he was not talking, she thought that she might as well continue. Maybe, she would hit upon something that he felt the need to respond to in some form or fashion. She found herself thinking of Janette again. Sometimes, she wished that she had been around the past few years, maybe she would have given her a different perspective on all of this. As far as she was concerned, she was still very much human; although her physiology was now vampire. She found herself wishing that Janette was here now, to help her understand some of this. Nick was a good brother but was not a female. Natalie was a female and a good friend but was not a vampire. Also, Janette had known Lacroix longer than any of them and could possibly provide some insight on why he did certain things. She wanted to spend time with Janette, providing that she was willing to guide her. Since they had never met, she did not even know whether Janette would even like her, but she wanted to try anyway.  
Just to elicit a reaction, she thought that she would bring up the subject of Janette. "You once said that of all your children, Nick and Janette were the only ones that I was to have contact with. Does that still hold true, or would you have kept me away from Janette, too?"  
It was hard for Lacroix to maintain his serious, emotionless appearance. When he looked into her eyes, all he saw was a princess, his princess. Ever since she entered his life, he wanted to protect her and keep her wrapped in an insulated cocoon. He wanted her all to himself. It even bothered him to share her with Nick, but if he had cut her off from all friends, he would definitely have lost her. At the moment, he had to maintain his silence, or he might not be able to keep up his facade. This was one time that he had to stand his ground and not allow her to soften his resolve. He had gone through too many changes lately, changes that others were seeing. His reputation had always kept them safe, and if it was thought that he had softened any, it might bring a multitude of challenges from other vampires.  
Lacroix's silence cut through Moriah. They had always been able to talk, to discuss things before -- why not now? What was happening to them? What was running through his mind? The more they stared at each other, the more each resolved not to give in to the other. More than a half hour passed with she and Lacroix saying nothing, only staring at each other. It seemed that they had reached a total impasse when they heard a noise coming from the front of the club.  
Moriah turned to look behind her and found that the club was empty except for the bartender. Lacroix merely looked over her head into the darkness. He knew who had arrived but was not overly concerned, just perturbed at having been disturbed. Although Moriah recognized Nick as one of the vampires who entered the club, she knew only that the another vampire with him shared the same blood thread.  
"It couldn't be," she thought. "Things like this just don't happen."  
Nick's face appearing out of the darkness interrupted her thoughts. "Moriah, are you all right?" he asked softly.  
Moriah was so overwrought that she afraid if she tried to talk, she would break out in tears, so she only nodded her head. When she glanced back at Lacroix to see if he was ready to continue the discussion, he was gone. He always appeared and disappeared quickly, without ever showing any sign of using his flying abilities. Was he gone for good, or did he just want time to himself? Hoping that it was the latter, she sighed softly and turned back to Nick.  
"He's gone," she said quietly.  
"Oh, he'll be back," Nick assured her, smiling and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "He loves you. As much as he tries to disguise it, I know he does." Placing a kiss on her forehead, he squeezed her tightly. "Now, cheer up. I've brought you a surprise. Someone special came to visit you."  
"I thought that I felt someone with you," she commented, leaning against him and gazing into the darkness at the front of the club. "If it's not Janette though, I don't want to meet them. At the moment, she is the only other person that I wish to see. Do you think that she'll like me?"  
Dropping another kiss on her forehead, he answered, "Just slow down just a moment. Why don't you ask her yourself?"  
"Then, she is here!" Moriah exclaimed.  
A soft voice floated towards them from the darkness near the bar. "Yes, I am here, Ma Petite Soeur"  
Moriah's head turned towards the source of the voice. A very petite, very beautiful woman stepped out of the darkness. Her hair and her eyes were of a dark mahogany color. The dark contrast her hair and her eyes made against her pale vampire skin added to the depth of her beauty. She dressed very fashionably and possessed a certain air of sophistication. It was obvious from the look on her face that Moriah was in awe of her vampire sister.  
Moriah tried to smile as she whispered softly, "Janette?"  
A big smile came to Nick's face as he watched his two sisters giving one another a thorough scrutiny. "I had a feeling that you would eventually find out about the ban Lacroix had enforced on your behalf and might need Janette. I sent word for her to return, but didn't know if she ever received it, or if she did, if she would come," he explained.  
Janette smiled at Nick. "Cherie. How could I not come? You said that I was needed, and besides, I desired to meet Lacroix's newest fledgling. News of her reached my ears long before your request. Don't you think that anyone who has the reputation of standing up to our Lacroix deserves a closer inspection?  
Nick laughed. "Oh, most definitely. She is a one-of-a-kind, Janette. You will never meet another like her." "Now," he said, pushing Moriah forward. "Janette, this is Moriah. Moriah, Janette."  
Moriah allowed Nick to push her towards the older vampire. She nodded her head slowly when he introduced her. She was afraid that the older vampire would not like her.  
"Hello," she said hesitantly, trying to smile. She took a deep breath and the smile finally arrived in all its glory, lighting up her face and reaching out to Janette. "Janette, I've heard so much about you. I've been wanting to meet you." Turning to Nick, she questioned, "You really sent for her?"  
Nick's heart warmed, watching Moriah's smile; it always did. She had a knack for making him always feel warm and well, human. "Yes, I sent word to Janette that she should come. It was only a matter of time before you found out about your ostracism from the rest of the community. I don't know why he ever thought he could keep if from you or that you would accept it."  
Moriah stretched up and placed a kiss on Nick's cheek. "Thank you, Nick," she said softly. "I couldn't ask for a better brother, or friend."  
Janette watched Moriah and Nick interact with great interest. The warmth and light inside Moriah were beacons reaching out to a ship lost in the fog. She definitely gave off different vibrations than any other vampire Janette knew. She wanted to know if the stories she heard were true. Since Lacroix had disappeared, she would not have the opportunity to observe her with him, so she would just have to come right out and ask.  
"Would you like to sit and talk?" Moriah asked, moving away from Nick and walking towards Janette. "You, too," she quickly added, turning back to Nick. It was obvious that she and Lacroix were going to settle nothing tonight, so she might as well get to know Janette and have a little interesting conversation.  
"I would like that, Moriah," Janette answered, smiling at the younger vampire. She wanted to learn about Moriah as much as Moriah wanted to learn about her.  
"And, you, Nick?" she questioned. "I would really like for you to stay."  
He smiled. "Then, I shall."  
"Good. Would you take Janette over to the table by the CERK booth and have a seat. I'll bring us something to drink, then we'll talk," she said, moving away from them and towards the bar.  
Sometime after Nick and Janette's arrival, the bartender left and locked the door. As Moriah walked towards the now empty bar, she heard the conversation between Janette and Nick as they walked towards the table. Mainly, they were catching up on what they had been doing since their separation. She listened closely as she set three glasses and a bottle on a tray, then carried it to the table. She wanted Janette here for her sake, but just the same she worried about the effect her return would have on Natalie's relationship with Nick. She finally decided that she had her own problems right now, so Nick and Natalie would have to deal with their own. She picked up the tray and walked towards the table. As she approached them, she heard Janette ask Nick, "What is her story? How did Lacroix find her?"  
Moriah laughed as she set the tray on the table and slipped into the empty chair between them. "He didn't find me, I found him, or rather, stumbled onto him."  
Janette's eyes grew large. "Stumble? Someone stumbled upon Lacroix. This I have to hear about. Tell me?" she implored.  
Moriah giggled as she picked up the bottle and poured the liquid in the three glasses then passed them around. As they slowly emptied the liquid in the bottle, she related the story of how she became Lacroix's fledgling. Several hours later, between them, Moriah and Nick finished her story to the point where Janette had entered. Of course, she left out any personal information about Lacroix and his feelings for her. She only related the facts as they happened but she still held Janette's attention throughout her whole discourse.  
When they finished the story, Janette was quiet for a moment. "Cherie, I believe that I left town too soon," she remarked to Nick. "Look at what I missed."  
"Yes, Janette," Nick laughed. "It has been quite interesting since Moriah accidentally stumbled into the Raven that night looking for me and found Lacroix instead."  
Turning to Moriah she asked, "Moriah, is this Johnny you spoke of still here in town?"  
"Yes, Janette, he is," Moriah answered. Motioning towards Nick with her head, she added, "He's at Nick's loft. Nick took him there a little while ago to get him out of Lucien's sight."  
Janette cocked her head the other direction to look at Nick. "Yes, Janette. Lacroix and I have been training him together. Lacroix has been training someone who is not his own fledgling."  
"Why?"  
In response, Nick only glanced over at Moriah.  
Once again Janette turned her attentions to Moriah. "Hmmm," she murmured, crossing her arms in front of her. "He trains someone else's fledgling, because he is a friend of Moriah's. How strange. I must meet this Johnny."  
"You will meet him soon enough. Oh, nothing is strange here anymore," Nick commented. "Anything can happen lately and usually does."  
"Ah, that reminds me. I heard about the Enforcers, too," Janette remarked. Then turning to Moriah, she asked, "From what you have said, is it true then that they tried to take you with them?"  
Moriah cast her eyes downwards. "Yes," she answered softly.  
Nick shook his head. It was hard to believe that a vampire could be so shy. "Yes, Janette," he answered for her "They tried to take her, if it hadn't been for the persuasive powers of Lacroix and the respect that he commands in the vampire community, they would have succeeded."  
"And, where did our Lacroix hurry off to when I arrived?" Janette asked.  
Moriah sighed. "Who knows. As far away from me as he could get I suppose."  
Nick reached across the table and wrapped his hand around hers. "Maybe you should leave for a while. Give him a chance to cool off. I could take some time off. We could travel for a little while."  
Janette looked thoughtful for a moment. "Or, Cherie, you could leave with me. It would be the perfect opportunity for us to learn about each other and for me to teach you what Lacroix, as a man, can not."  
Moriah looked back and forth between her vampire siblings several times before speaking. "I appreciate the offers. It means more to me than you will ever know. It means that you accept me as your sister and your equal, but I can't go with you. That is exactly what he is expecting me to do, and I can't do that. If I left now, it would be reinforcing his belief that one day I will leave him just as the two of you did. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if that happened. I have to stay, even if it means that I exist in silence for a long while."  
The shock was apparent on Janette's face. "Nicola, what has Lacroix done to foster such devotion from this little one?"  
Nick shook his head. "I don't know, Janette. She loves the old man. I questioned it myself in the beginning and almost lost her in the process, didn't I?" he said, turning to Moriah.  
"Yes, Nick, you did," Moriah agreed. "But, if you had not mistreated me, I may not have left town, and Lucien may not have come after me, bringing me across in the process."  
"You enjoy being a vampire?" Janette questioned rather in surprise.  
"Why yes," Moriah said without hesitation. "Why shouldn't I? It's what I am, and I believe in making the best of any situation. Besides, as Nick pointed out, I do love Lucien very much and to be with him, I have to be what I am."  
After another hour of conversation, Moriah looked down at her watch to find that it was six a.m. It was time for her to go upstairs and try to rest. She would leave Nick and Janette alone to carry on their own conversation or whatever they intended to do since they would have to spend the rest of the day in the Raven. She rose from her chair and excused herself, telling Janette that she was glad to meet her and hoped that she would come by to see her again. A weak smile came to her face as Janette told her that she had every intention of visiting again several times in the next few days. Moriah stepped around the table and hugged her, then gave her a kiss on the cheek. As she straightened up, Nick stood and offered to walk her upstairs. She declined his offer, but he insisted, so she allowed him to wrap his arm around her shoulders and escort her through the storeroom door and up the stairs to her apartment. She insisted that he leave her at the door. If Lacroix was inside, she wanted to be alone with him. Nick abided by her wishes, leaving her at the door with a hug and a kiss then returning downstairs to Janette.  
Moriah slowly opened the door and stepped inside. Lacroix was definitely in the apartment, but since the living room was empty, he must be in his room. She did not dare disturb him in the mood he was in, and she did not really want to do so anyway. She heaved a heavy sigh as she walked down the hallway to her own room. There was no way that she was leaving him alone in the apartment, but at the same time she did not intend to make the first conciliatory move. She knew that he was just as stubborn as she was and not about to admit to her that he was in the wrong either. When Lacroix left Moriah alone with Nick and Janette, he flew straight upstairs to his room and locked the door. He reclined back on his bed with a book in his hand and tried to read, but found that he could not. He wanted Moriah with him. Over the years, they found that both rested easier when they were together and this time was no different. He fought the urge to go downstairs and drag her away from Nick and Janette. She was probably planning to leave him anyway; they always did. He found that he was actually surprised when he heard and felt her enter the apartment. Her footsteps passed his room, causing him to almost jump off the bed and fling the door open, but he fought that urge, too. As he sat quietly on the bed listening to her every move, he half wished that she would knock on his door, but she did not. He heard her door close and the lock turn. Sighing, he lay back against the head board. Well, at least, she was still here, and he did not hear any noises indicating that she was packing her things.  
What could have ended that day lingered on for four weeks because of the stubbornness of the personalities involved. Neither was willing to be the first to give in to the other.  
Over the next few weeks Moriah very rarely left the Raven. If she did leave at night, it was only for a couple of hours and only to check on her humans. She never wanted to be too far from the Raven or Lacroix. Besides, her friends came to the Raven to see her. Nick stopped by every night to see her for at least fifteen or twenty minutes even when he was on duty. Janette stopped by almost as often and stayed to the wee hours in the morning, talking and teaching Moriah a few things that Lacroix had not. Johnny wanted to come by the Raven and see her, but it was thought best for him to keep his distance from her until she and Lacroix were back in each other's good graces. Janette did meet him though and found that she liked him very much, but that is another story.  
It was killing Nick to see Moriah and Lacroix at odds with each other. He and Janette even discussed devising a plan to bring them to some reconciliation but thought better of it after realizing that interfering with Lacroix was out of the question. He even refused any of their attempts to talk to him, so they focused themselves on her and stayed out of his way. As hard as it was, they sat quietly by and tried to give Moriah all the moral support they could.  
Lacroix passed Moriah in the apartment hallway and in the club without a word or a glance. Well, at least a glance that she could see. Whenever she was not watching him, he constantly stole glimpses of her, wishing that she was in his arms. It pleased him to have his three favorite children near him, but watching her with Nick and Janette did not help his feeling of insecurity. He felt that they would influence her to leave him as they had done. He was almost as grumpy and touchy as he was when she left him the first time for Texas when she was still human. Several times he saw Moriah in a situation where under normal circumstances, he would have come to her aid. Unfortunately this time, he stayed away, either allowing her to solve the situation herself or watching Nick come to help her. When he saw her needing him, he almost broke the stalemate but quickly restored his resolve not to give in to her, so the stalemate went on for almost a month.  
Strange as it seems, it was Lacroix who broke the stalemate whether he did it consciously or not. One night a month after the stalemate began, Moriah was in the living room trying to read. She was curled up on the sofa with a book when she thought she heard her name being called. There was no one in the room, but something drew her attention to the radio. A glance at the clock told her that it was time for Lacroix to broadcast the Nightcrawler. She found herself stretching across and turning on the radio, then settling back against the arm of the sofa to listen.  
Several minutes of dead air soon gave way to the silky, sultry tones of Lacroix in his Nightcrawler persona.  
Good Evening, Children of the Night. What is a family? There are some who say that only the nuclear family; a mother, father, and two point three children, is the true family. Others will argue the point that a family may consist of a group of people who are not related by blood, but who band together out of love and necessity, so that they will not face this cold dark world alone. Ultimately, a family is what everyone craves, even those who are known as an Ishmaelite, a loner. My children, when someone offers you a true family and wishes to wrap you safely in their love, do not be a fool. Accept them and accept their family. Accept all they have to offer you without question. Do not try to control them or lock them away in an ivory tower for this will only serve to drive them away. Keep them close to you, but not too close. Do not allow differences of opinion to destroy the family, a middle ground can always be found. Compromise is hard, but if it will keep the one you love with you, then compromise you must. In closing, my children, do not allow love and family to elude you. Solitude is not as happy a state as some would have you to believe.  
Moriah sat frozen on the sofa as she listened to Lacroix's monologue. This was not his usual style. His speeches were always dark and foreboding, very depressing. The book fell from her hand halfway through his speech, hitting the floor and distracting her for a moment. Even with the distraction, she knew that he was talking about her, there was no doubt about it. He would never outwardly apologize to her or even admit that he was in the least wrong. This was as close to an apology as she was going to receive from him. He obviously put a lot of thought and work into his speech and to air it publicly took even more courage, so who was she to discount his attempt at a reconciliation. She was not such a stubborn person that she would let such an opportunity pass; besides, she missed him terribly. She impatiently listened to the rest of his program, but once dead air returned to the radio she dashed downstairs and into the Raven.  
As she stepped into the club, she stopped for a moment to catch her breath. She could not allow any of the other vampires to catch on to what was about to happen. This was between her and Lacroix and needed to stay that way. Nick, Janette, Natalie, and Johnny were already aware of the trouble between them but there was no need to bring anyone else into their private lives. After taking several deep breaths, she walked to the bar to order a drink to steady herself before attempting to visit Lacroix in the CERK booth. The bartender met her with a glass. She took it from him and drank the whole glass of blood in one gulp. Placing the empty glass on the bar, she turned towards the CERK booth. Peering between the vampires milling around the club, she was able to make out Lacroix's silhouette sitting in the corner of the booth. It was almost as if he were waiting for someone, waiting for her, she hoped. The bartender refilled her glass and shoved it toward her; whereupon, she asked him for a second glass. After picking up both glasses, she walked towards the booth.  
Lacroix peeked around the equipment and saw Moriah enter the club. A smile twitched at the corners of his mouth -- his plan was working. Four weeks away from her was more than he could stand. A few days earlier, he had reached a point where he knew that he had to devise a way to break the stalemate between them without compromising himself. One night earlier in the week as he was broadcasting the Nightcrawler, it dawned on him that she always listened to his program, even during her silence she was still listening to them. He would use the Nightcrawler to draw her back to him, but how? He could not outwardly apologize to her for two reasons. The first being that he never apologized and secondly, he had no intention of lifting the ban on her. The only thing that he was sorry for was that she found out what he had done. To accept him, she would have to accept the ban enforced upon her. If the truth be known, he had no intention of enforcing it unless she was in danger, or he was about to lose her to another vampire.  
His heart skipped a beat, as he watched her picking her way through the crowd towards him. She had been true to her word and had not left him. He assumed that this would have been the perfect opportunity for her to flee him if she wanted to do so, but she had not. Other fledglings had left him for much less. Maybe she was the one who would stay with him through eternity.  
A glass placed on the table in front of him interrupted his thoughts. The hand setting the glass on the table was on its way back to its owner when he quickly reached over, wrapping it tightly in his own. The cool feel of his skin against hers almost caused Moriah to lose her composure right then and there. She took a deep breath and concentrated to stop herself from vamping-out.  
Forcing a smile, she commented, "Lucien, I liked the Nightcrawler tonight, even though it was a little out of your usual repertoire."  
He tightened his hand around hers and with his other hand reached up, cupping the side of her face in his palm. "I'm pleased that you liked it, Little One. It was definitely not a subject that I would have normally addressed on the program, but I felt that it required some attention, especially tonight."  
"Well, I loved it," she remarked, trying not to look directly into his eyes, knowing that if she did, she would lose control. "It was very eloquent, very riveting. You put a lot of thought into it. Thank you, My Darling."  
"You are most welcome, Ma Cherie," he whispered, slowly pulling her into the booth.  
Moriah did not protest as he pulled her into the booth; she was exactly where she wanted to be. As she saw it, he made the first overture to a reconciliation and was continuing to match her gesture for gesture, so there was no need to fight him.  
As he pulled her closer to him, he rearranged a black satin cape with a red lining fastened around his neck. When she was close enough, he began to wrap the cape around her until it hid her from view. All the vampires in the club were able to see, was Lacroix's head sitting above the cape.  
"Oh my!" she exclaimed as the cool satin fell against her skin.  
"This is just one of the little surprises I have planned for you tonight. How do I measure up to your fictitious TV and movie vampires?" he asked, arching his eyebrow and lifting the cape up to conceal both of them from prying eyes.  
"Ah," she said, trying to keep her mind on the question as the satin and his hand caressed her skin. "You are the real thing. Bela, Christopher, and even that guy, Nigel something or other, don't hold a candle to you."  
"Very good answer," he replied, arching his eyebrow again and successfully suppressing the smile that wanted to form on his lips.  
Moriah was still not looking him in the eyes for fear of losing control, so he placed his finger under her chin and lifted her eyes up to his. Just as she could not look into his eyes without vamping-out, he could not gaze into hers either without exerting some major self-control. As he found himself lost in her eyes, he was glad that he had taught her how to hide her thoughts from him. He would not have wanted to know everything that crossed her busy mind. He would become one tired vampire trying to keep up with her.  
One of the reasons that he never used any of the vampire mind control on her was that all he had to do was kiss her or stare lovingly in her eyes and she was his. At the moment, she really did not care what he had done or was going to do. She knew that associating with her would remain taboo; he did not intend to recant his threat to the other vampires. She would just have to resign herself to his interfering in her friendships with other vampires. It really was not that bad once she thought about it. What upset her the most was that he had not told her what he had done. She had to find out the information from a strange vampire.  
Wrapping the cape tightly around them, he leaned over and placed his lips on hers. Having been apart for so long, the kiss deepened faster than normally. With the cape as a shield, they did not really care. No one could see what they were doing anyway, which was the other reason Lacroix had brought the cape with him tonight.  
He released her lips from his, then gently stroked the side of her neck with his fingers. "You do realize that I still refuse to allow you to socialize on your own with the others?" he whispered, dipping his head and replacing the caressing motion of his fingers with his lips and tongue.  
Moriah heard his statement but was unable to respond to it. His caressing of her neck was sapping her strength, mentally and physically. She gently pushed him away, so that she could regain her senses, but she kept her hand on his cheek. "I know, Lucien," she whispered, running her fingertips over his cheek. "I don't think that it bothered me so much that you told the others to stay away from me as much as the fact you didn't tell me about it. I had to find out from a vampire on the street."  
"Oh!" he exclaimed. "And, I suppose that you will not tell me who, right?"  
"That's neither here nor there," she said calmly. "He was just a strange vampire from out of town who tried to feed off Natalie. Boy, was he surprised to find himself on the other side of the alley." She saw no reason in telling him what had really happened. It would have only caused him to become angry, and she was enjoying his mood at the moment.  
Moriah gave a little giggle as she finished her sentence. It was that little giggle that caused Lacroix not to press the issue. She was right, it didn't matter. "I'm to assume that you enjoyed throwing him around?" he inquired, knowing full well that she did. She loved to exercise her power when she could.  
She grinned. "Of course, I did."  
He traced the outline of her lips with his finger. "Although I have several surprises planned for you tonight, would you like to go to either to the ballet or a concert tomorrow evening? I have not been able to escort you anywhere since Edward's ball and Johnny's County Fair."  
Her eyes lit up at his suggestion. "Yes, please, I've missed our little excursions." Suddenly, she looked away from him towards the crowd milling around the bar.  
Her moods changed so fast that Lacroix wondered how he ever kept up with her, but he would have had it no other way. "Is something wrong? Have I done something else now?"  
"Oh, no," she said, turning to lock his gaze into hers. "When you mentioned Johnny, it got me to thinking about him, Janette, and Nick. Are you going to give me trouble over them? I'm just now beginning to know Janette. I really like her."  
He was relieved to find that it was something rather simple on her mind. "I have always wanted my three favorites close to me. I have no problem with you spending all the time you want with Nick and Janette. I would have no objections to you traveling with Janette for a short while either. It might be quite educational for you."  
The shock showed on Moriah's face. "You are suggesting that I leave you for an indefinite amount of time to travel with Janette? It sounded interesting when she asked me, but Lucien, I don't think that I could be away from you for too long; maybe a week or two at the most."  
"I would not want you to be away from me, either, but I felt that I had to leave this decision up to you. I want to protect you and have you with me always. This little situation has made me realize that I have to allow you some freedoms. I know that you are as safe with Nick and Janette as you are with me. Of course, I can be very influential in convincing you to stay, if I wish," he said, an evil grin spreading across his face.  
She did not respond to him right away. Turning her head to the side, she placed little nibbling kisses along his jaw line. "I know you can, My Love," she whispered. "But, then again, so can I. There's just one more thing. You haven't mentioned Johnny. I know you're jealous of him; I can see it every time that he's with us, which is one reason, I don't understand why you agreed to train him."  
"My reasons for training him are my own," he answered, not wanting to tell her that she was the only reason he trained Johnny. If not for her, he would have left Johnny to fend for himself. Now, he would have to tolerate her having some contact with him, or they would be right back where they were four weeks ago. Crushing her to him inside the confines of the cape, he whispered in her ear through tight lips, "For all intents and purposes, he is one of my children and your brother. I will allow you to see him, but I warn you, he shows anything more than a brotherly interest, and he will pay."  
Most women would have been shaking with fearing from the intensity in his voice and the force of his embrace, but not Moriah. She turned her head and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "I would expect nothing less," she said quietly. "But, you know that you have nothing to worry about. I am yours, totally and always will be."  
"Hmm, I know, Little One," he whispered, his lips against hers. "You proved that by not leaving when you had the chance. Now, I think that you deserve the next surprise."  
He reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a small black velvet box. Picking up her hand, he turned it palm up and placed the little box in the center of her palm. Moriah gave the box a close inspection. From the construction of the box, she could see that it was very old. On the front, near the bottom, was a little silver release button. She had no idea what could be in the box; Lacroix had never given her any jewelry. Wrapping her hand around the box, she glanced up at him.  
"Well, open it," he said rather impatiently, wanting to see what she thought of his gift.  
Moriah opened her hand, then slowly pressed in on the button. The lid of the box popped open to reveal a ring glinting in the low light of the hanging lamp above the booth. Lacroix reached over and pulled the ring out of the box and at the same time, lifted her left hand up in the air. He slipped the ring on her ring finger, then closed his fingers around hers. Curious to inspect the ring closer, she pulled both of their hands closer to her face. Spreading his fingers so that she could see the ring, it surprised her to see that it looked exactly like the crest ring that he wore, only smaller. It just so happened that the hand that holding hers was the hand on which he wore his ring. She turned his hand around and placed her ring next to his. Her ring was an exact copy of his; they were a matched set. She looked at him questioningly.  
"Do you like it?" he asked, wrapping his hand back around hers and readjusting the cape so that it cloaked her from everyone's view again.  
"My Love, it is beautiful, but why?"  
He smiled softly as he kissed the top of her hand. "You have proved that you meant what you said about not leaving me on a whim. I thought that you might like something other than blood, to bind you to me. It is a symbol of sorts."'  
"So, you do believe that I won't leave now?  
"Yes, I believe, Moriah. How can I not, after what we have just been through. It was four of the worst weeks in my life."  
"Mine, too, " she whispered. "Mine, too." She smiled as she stared at the ring on her hand. The fact that he had given her the ring showed that he trusted her and committed himself to her completely. As long as she had known him Lacroix never did anything halfway it was all or nothing. "Tell me about the ring. Is it the mate to yours?"  
"Not exactly, but it is rather old. Several centuries ago, I commissioned a jeweler to a fashion a mate to my ring, thinking that some day, I would meet someone who deserved such a gift. It appears that the someone has arrived."  
Upon uttering the last sentence, he leaned over and kissed her until she felt her fangs beginning to grow. She immediately pulled away and looked around her to find them still concealed in the folds of the cape. She breathed a sigh of relief. He usually did not like to make a show of his affection for her, but with things changing as fast as they did, she was not sure anymore.  
"Well, My Love. You have definitely plied me with the most wonderful surprises tonight," she commented.  
"Ah, My Dear. I am not finished yet. Are you ready to see your next surprise?"  
She slowly nodded her head; whereupon, Lacroix scooted around the booth to the opening opposite her. After standing up and allowing the cape to fall delicately around him, he extended his hand to her. Moriah reached up towards his hand, fully expecting him to wrap his hand around hers and pull her to her feet. To her surprise, the moment that his hand touched hers, she was standing before him under the stars on the rooftop. Stunned for a moment, she could only stare into his eyes, then up at the stars above her head.  
The amazement showed on her face as Lacroix chuckled silently.  
"How do you do that?" she exclaimed. "You're always disappearing in the blink of an eye."  
Squeezing her hand and arching his eyebrow, he answered, "There has to be some advantage to being this ancient."  
She did not know why his statement struck her as being funny but it did. She bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. He had only recently begun to regularly exercise his sense of humor around her, and it was usually so dry that she was never sure if he was joking or not.  
Her attempt to squelch her laughter did not go unnoticed. He purposely made the statement, because he wanted her to laugh. He needed to hear her laugh. Her laughter for him had become an addiction, just as loving her had. Bending over, he whispered in her ear, "You may laugh. It was meant to be lighthearted."  
Moriah needed no more encouragement. A giggle escaped from her lips, filling the air around them. All of the tensions of the past few weeks released in that one giggle, and it lasted for a long time. Lacroix dropped her hand and lifted the cape again, wrapping it tightly around them. He found that he liked wearing a cape. He had only worn it to simulate her fictional vampires but found that it had many good uses. One in particular was forming a cocoon around her to shield her, to shield them, from any prying eyes. Another, and one of the best reasons, was that she thought he looked good in it. What more could he ask?  
When he peered down inside the cape, Moriah was still giggling. The sound of her laughter had its desired effect as he felt the cloud around him lifting.  
"Lucien, you did that on purpose?" she questioned gasping for breath.  
"Of course," he answered with all seriousness. "I never do anything without purpose."  
Finally catching her breath, she asked, "What was its purpose?"  
He fluttered the cape away from her. "To release your laughter, of course. You needed the release as much as I needed to hear it, Little One."  
As the cape dropped away from her, he clapped his hands and music began to fill the air. The strains were a haunting old world string melody. The sort of tune that one always associated with a gothic movie. It fit the situation perfectly, a vampire in a satin cape and his lady, dancing the night on a rooftop. Something white fluttering in the corner of her eye turned her attention to her surroundings.  
For the first time, Moriah looked at the roof around her. The first thing that she noticed was that a strange glow bathed her face. At first she thought it might be the glow of her or Lacroix's eyes, but neither was vamped-out. The glow, she found, came from four candelabras set around them in the center of the roof. Sitting in-between two of the candelabras was a string quartet, playing glassy eyed on their instruments.  
She looked questioningly up at Lacroix. He smiled softly down at her. "No, Little One, I have not harmed them. When this evening is over, they will be released unharmed, with a little money in their pockets, and no memory of how they earned that money."  
"Oh," was the only comment to escape her lips as she returned to her inspection of the roof.  
Lacroix watched her closely as she surveyed his handiwork for any signs of displeasure; he found none. He should have known better. She always appreciated the least little gesture on his part.  
Draped in-between the other three spaces of the candelabras were several panels of sheer white gauze drape, flowing softly in the breeze. The last thing that she noticed was a strange mist swirling up around their feet. A glance at the tops of the other buildings, revealed no fog or mist anywhere except where they were. Another thing that she would have to ask Lacroix about later, this was definitely not the time or place.  
"Pleased?" he asked, wrapping one arm around her waist and picking up her hand with the other.  
Stretching, she placed her hand on the nape of his neck, then tightened her hand around his. As she stared into his eyes, she could have sworn that she saw them glowing; not the usual vampire glow but an ethereal kind of glow. She had never seen the glow before and wondered what it could be; although, she had heard it said that her eyes glow unlike any other vampire's occasionally. Maybe, it was just the shining light of love. That would have to do for now since she had more important things to which she wished to attend.  
"Yes," she answered, then in a softer tone whispered, "Thank you, My Love."  
"You are welcome," he whispered, leaning over and kissing her. "You deserve it and a lot more for your devotion to me, Ma Cherie. Dance?"  
"Yes, My Darling. Please."  
Lacroix began to move them slowly to the music. When they danced, it was as if they were fused into one. As they moved in circles around the make-shift dance floor, she felt as if she were in some sort of fairyland with the mist rising about them.  
The quartet switched to a piece that had a hauntingly sad melody. The music was almost magical and affected Moriah in a strange way. She found herself becoming very sad and melancholic. Taking a step, she closed the small gap between them, then laid her head against his chest.  
He had not planned this music nor did he understand the effect that it had on her. However, he did not intend to question anything that brought her closer to him. He dropped her hand, so she placed it around his neck with its mate. Reaching behind him, he pulled the cape around and wrapped it around her. He did not know why he had not thought of the cape before now. For the next hour, they danced and kissed to the haunting music of the quartet. Her hands lay on the back of is neck while his hands rested on her shoulders, holding the cape securely around them.  
They were totally lost in each other and considering retiring to the apartment when they both felt some familiar presence in the area. Lacroix dropped the cape and Moriah stepped away from him. She took no chances when it came to protecting his reputation. Nick knew how Lacroix was with her, but there was no need to outwardly publicize it. They continued to dance but with the proper amount of space between them. Even when they felt the mist around them disturbed as two other vampires landed on the roof, they continued to dance, ignoring the intruders.  
Nick landed first, then Janette. Although they had arrived together, they came from different directions. When they saw the scene laid out before them, they felt very uncomfortable intruding on their master. They stared at each other and almost turned to leave but Moriah stopped them by speaking.  
When they landed, Moriah glanced up at Lacroix who only nodded his head to her silent request. "Nick! Janette! You don't have to leave!" she called. "Enjoy the music if you wish."  
Nick bowed to Janette and gestured with his hand towards the dance floor. After another sideward glance at Moriah and Lacroix, she shrugged her shoulders and reached for his hand. He pulled her through the drapes and mist to join their master and his mistress on the dance floor.  
For several hours, the only noise on the roof was the sound of the quartet's music floating on the night air as the vampire couples danced. Moriah occasionally pulled her attention away from Lacroix to glance over at Nick and Janette. Janette fit perfectly in his arms, but so did Natalie. As she watched them together, she began to feel a little uneasy. It was apparent that she and Nick belonged together; they did have a history after all. The strange thing was that he and Natalie also seemed to belong together. It was all very confusing to her. She tightened her hold on Lacroix's hand and moved just a little closer to him.  
Sensing her discomfort at seeing Nick and Janette dancing together and wanting her to himself anyway, Lacroix decided to move things along a little faster. "Nicolas, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" he asked as he danced Moriah over to them. Nick stopped dancing, and he and Janette turned towards them. "We both heard your broadcast tonight. We had to see if it was what we thought it was. From the looks of this roof, obviously, it was. Natalie will be so glad to hear this."  
Janette smiled softly and wrapped her hand around Nick's arm. "Ma Petite Soeur, I think that under the circumstances, our plans for this evening are cancelled."  
A smile crept onto Moriah's face. "I think that you're right," she responded, squeezing Lacroix's hand which was still holding hers. Her two vampire siblings were standing in front of her and her master behind her. This was as good as time as any to ask her favor. "Could I ask a question, or possibly a favor?"  
"Yes, Cherie, is something wrong?" Janette asked, showing a little concern.  
Moriah laughed and shook her head. "Oh, no, there's nothing wrong. I just wanted to ask this while I have the three of you here. I might not get this opportunity again."  
Nick's curiosity was getting the better of him. "Well? What is it?" he asked.  
"Lucien and I were talking of traveling earlier and well....I have heard all of you talk about your travels together in the past. And, I was wondering if you and Janette would consider traveling with Lucien and I. I mean, we had such fun when you went with us to Texas."  
Lacroix stood quietly behind her, watching but keeping his hand wrapped around hers. She opened her mind to him a few minutes earlier so he was well aware of her question. He had no objection to her request if the others did not. In fact, he was more than happy that she suggested it. He missed all the traveling and adventures that he and his children had experienced. Things would be different for them this time, Nicolas would not be so easy to dupe and Moriah would try to be the peace keeper. Recently though, she was proving to be a little more mischievous and a little more like him than he first thought. It could prove to be very interesting.  
Janette remained quiet, obviously pondering Moriah's question while Nick thought aloud. "Well, I did have fun with you and Lacroix," he remarked. "And, I did say that I wanted to travel with you again. I don't see why not since you would be there."  
Moriah's smile widened. "Good. Now, Janette what about you?"  
Janette maintained her serious expression. She wanted to be with Moriah but was not sure that she wanted to be that close to Lacroix again. "Cherie, I would like more time to think. I enjoy your company, and I would love to travel with my Nicola again, but I am a little leery about our Lacroix." To her surprise, Lacroix did not seem upset by her answer. He was not upset or hurt, because he did not really expect her to agree.  
Moriah smiled softly. "No problem, Janette. We have all the time in the world. Let me know what you decide later. I really would like for all of us to travel together at least once."  
"I will give it serious consideration. In the meantime, are we still meeting later this week?"  
"Of course we are, Janette." After a few moments of thought, she added, "I like having a big sister, you know."  
Janette's serious demeanor took on a softer look. "So do I. I never thought that I would meet one of the community so independent and so satisfied with their lot in life. It is a refreshing change."  
Moriah was overjoyed with the answers that she had received. Lacroix and Nick were both willing to go with her, and although, Janette had not given her a definitive answer, she felt that she would eventually agree to go. It would have been nice to take Johnny with them, but she was not going to push her good graces with Lacroix at the moment. She was in the mood for a little peace and quiet for a while.  
"Moriah, we'll leave you and Lacroix alone now," Nick said, putting his hand on top of Janette's which was still wrapped around his arm. "Before I go, Johnny has been asking if he will ever see you."  
Watching Nick's hand caressing Janette's, Moriah was a little concerned but immediately dismissed it. "I really don't know, Nick," Moriah said hesitantly. Looking up at Lacroix, she asked, "Will he, Lucien?"  
"Yes, Little One, he will," Lacroix whispered in her ear.  
"Nick, tell Johnny that I'll see him in a couple of days," she said. She wanted to make Lacroix feel more at ease, so she suggested, "Maybe, all four of us can meet one night?" She knew that her suggestion had its desired effect when she felt Lacroix's other hand caressing her back.  
"I'll tell him. Sounds like it could be an interesting evening," he said, then after glancing up at Lacroix, he added, "Now, we'd better be going." He pulled out from Janette's grip and placed a kiss on Moriah's forehead.  
"Bye Nick. See you later this week, Janette," she called as they rose into the air.  
After they disappeared into the darkness, Lacroix pulled her into his arms. "I have one more activity planned. Would you like your last surprise?"  
"Hmmm. I think I know what it is," Moriah answered, stretching up to place a kiss on his lips.  
"Oh, do you now?" he teased, returning her kiss. "Allow me to dispatch these humans, then we will retire to the privacy of our chamber."  
Unfastening the cape, he dropped it over Moriah's shoulders then walked over to the musicians. She wrapped herself in the soft satin as she watched Lacroix giving each of the four men instructions to clear the roof of the candelabras and drapes then return to their homes. In the days of old, when such humans had worn out their usefulness to him, they would have met a more permanent end. He shook his head to himself as he returned to Moriah. Whether he cared to admit it out loud to anyone, she had become a major influence on the way he conducted himself. He found that he did not savor destruction as he once had. He was not ready to search for a cure to his eternal night as Nicolas did, but he was convinced that it was through her that the quality of his existence had increased from what it once was.  
Moriah watched him walking toward her, so strong, so defiant. It always amazed her at the amount of love that welled up inside her when she saw him the way he was meant to be. Seeing her wrapped up in his cape, almost caused him to lose his stately composure. The cape was three times too large for her, swallowing her totally in its folds. He shook his head, then picked her up in his arms, cape and all. Just as before, in the blink of an eye, they were standing before the door to their living quarters.  
Once they were safely locked inside, all their self control gave way to the feelings that had been building all evening. Their eyes bathed the room in a soft green glow as Lacroix gently carried her and set her down next to the sofa. Moriah quickly pushed the cape off her shoulders, allowing it to drop to the floor. Taking her face gently between his hands, he leaned over and kissed her the way he had wanted to all night long. The kiss was electric, releasing all the tensions and emotions built up over the last month. The glow inside the room increased as their fangs began their descent into full tooth. She nodded her head towards her room; whereupon, he scooped her up his arms and carried her down the hallway. They immediately adjourned to the comfortable confines of her room and were not seen or heard from until she was to meet Janette a few days later. 


End file.
